title: Interleukin-20 plays a critical role in maintenance and development of psoriasis in the human xenograft transplantation model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interleukin (IL)-20 is a recently discovered cytokine displaying increased levels in psoriatic lesions. Interestingly, IL-20 levels decrease with antipsoriatic treatment, correlating with clinical improvement. However, the role of IL-20 in the aetiology of psoriasis is unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we investigate the effects both of blocking IL-20 signalling in psoriatic plaques and of adding IL-20 to nonlesional psoriasis skin.
  
  
  METHODS
  We employed the human skin xenograft transplantation model in which psoriatic plaques and nonlesional keratome skin biopsies obtained from donors with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis were transplanted on to immuno-deficient mice. The transplanted mice were treated with anti-IL-20 antibodies or recombinant human IL-20.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We demonstrate that blocking IL-20 signalling with anti-IL-20 antibodies induces psoriasis resolution and inhibits psoriasis induction. We also demonstrate that continuous IL-20 infusion, together with injection of additional nonactivated leucocytes, promotes induction of psoriasis in nonlesional skin from patients with psoriasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that IL-20 plays a critical role in the induction and maintenance of psoriasis, and IL-20 is suggested as a new possible specific target in psoriasis treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Aarhus University Hospital, Dk-8000 Aarhys, Denmark. Karin_Stenderup@email.dk
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stenderup
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rosada
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Worsaae
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dagnaes-Hansen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Steiniche
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hasselager
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Iversen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zahn
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wöldike
authors.forename: H Lindgreen
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Holmberg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rømer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kragballe
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Clausen
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Dam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity / Q000276:immunology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D012074:Remission Induction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D007378:Interleukins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C422042:interleukin 20